Pitt guard Emy Hayford announced her decision to transfer to Fordham in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
Hayford came to Pitt as a part of head coach Lance White’s inaugural recruiting class in 2019, which included guard Dayshanette Harris and forwards Amber Brown, Cynthia Ezeja and Rita Igbokwe. Igbokwe transferred to Ole Miss following the 2021-22 season.
She played 108 games and started in 46 contests over her four seasons with the Panthers. She averaged 3.7 points, 1.7 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 19.2 minutes per game. Hayford also averaged 30.2% shooting from the field, 21.2% shooting from 3-point range and 63.0% shooting from the foul line across her career with the Panthers.
Hayford will join up with Fordham head coach Bridgette Mitchell for her final year of eligibility in the Bronx. Mitchell served as assistant coach at Pitt for Hayford’s first two seasons before leaving to take the Northeastern head coaching job. Hayford does a great job leading the offense and her experience will prove valuable for Mitchell next season.
Hayford is the eighth Pitt player to leave the program and find a new one following the dismissal of White in early March.
Pitt fired White for poor performance after five seasons as at the helm. White accrued a record of 42-99, the worst five-year stretch of any head coach in Panthers history. Athletic Director Heather Lyke found the new Pitt head coach in Tory Verdi,who has led Eastern Michigan and UMass from the bottom to the top of their conferences as head coach of those programs.
Nine Pitt players entered the transfer portal soon after his departure and Class of 2023 recruit Hannah Watson decommitted from the program on Monday to made it 10 players who have left.
Guards Avery Strickland decided to go home and announced her transfer to Tennessee and Ezeja transferred to Loyola Marymount.
The Quebec duo of guards Sandrine Clesca and Taisha Exanor both transferred to mid-major Monmouth for their final two years of eligibility.
Harris announced her transfer to Clemson, while Brown and forward Maliyah Johnson transferred to St. John’s and Houston, respectively, this offseason as well.
Guard Destiny Strother is the last Pitt player in the transfer portal to announce their school this offseason.
The list below shows the players that have placed their name in the transfer portal and those that are staying for the next season.
Pitt Transfers/Decommits
Guard
Graduate Dayshanette Harris: one year (Clemson)
Graduate Emy Hayford: one year
Graduate Destiny Strother: one year
Senior Sandrine Clesca: two years (Monmouth)
Senior Taisha Exanor: two years
Sophomore Avery “Ace” Strickland: three years (Tennessee)
Forward
Graduate forward Amber Brown: one year (St. John’s)
Redshirt senior Cynthia Ezeja: two years (Loyola Marymount)
Junior Maliyah Johnson: two years (Houston)
First-year Hannah Watson: four years (Toronto Metropolitan)
2023-24 Pitt Roster + eligibility
Guards
Sophomore Marley Washenitz: three years
Sophomore Aislin Malcolm: three years
First-year Jasmine Timmerson: four years
Forward
Senior Gabby Hutcherson: two years
Senior Liatu King: two years
First-year Lauren Rust: four years
